Earning an ASIS board certification is a visible acknowledgment that you possess a mastery of core security principles and skills essential to the best practice of security management. It shows you are committed to excellence, professional growth, and a code of conduct.
Ready to achieve your professional and personal best? Choose the certification that's right for you.
To ensure you have a safe testing experience, ASIS is now offering the option to take our certification exams on your own computer at home! Explore the technical requirements you’ll need to test remotely.
Due to ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19, testing sites may need to close. In addition, a number of government guidelines and regional mandates are beginning to require candidates to present PROOF OF VACCINATION at check-in in order to test. Please see “Sites Requiring Proof of Vaccination” on the Prometric website for specific test site policies.
For those who are due to recertify, review the various options you have for earning CPEs toward your recertification, even while sheltering-in-place.
• Validating your security management expertise
• Elevating your stature in the profession
• Gaining a competitive edge in the marketplace
• Enhancing your career and earnings potential. ASIS certificants earn an average of 20% higher salaries than those without an ASIS certification (per ASIS Certification Survey – April 2019)
• Broadening experience and training from law enforcement and military backgrounds
• Build a strong, dedicated team committed to high standards and continuing professional development
• Promote ongoing enhancement of critical job knowledge and skills
• Feel confident that your staff are using best practices
• Recruit the most qualified professionals
• Reinforce or elevate your organization’s reputation and credibility
Certified Protection Professional (CPPⓇ)
The Certified Protection Professional (CPP) is considered the "gold standard" for security management professionals. This certification validates your knowledge in all areas of security management. Eligibility requirements include 5-7 years of security experience and 3 years in responsible charge of a security function.
Associate Protection Professional (APP)
The Associate Protection Professional (APP) designation provides the first "rung" on the security manager's career ladder. It is for those with 1-3 years of security management experience and measures the professional’s knowledge of security management fundamentals, business operations, risk management, and response management.
*The APP Certification was supported in part by a grant from the ASIS Foundation.
Professional Certified Investigator (PCIⓇ)
The Professional Certified Investigator (PCI) certification provides demonstrable proof of an individual's knowledge and experience in case management, evidence collection, and preparation of reports and testimony to substantiate findings. Requirements include 3-5 years of investigations experience, with at least two years in case management.
Physical Security Professional (PSPⓇ)
The Physical Security Professional (PSP) demonstrates your knowledge in physical security assessments, application, design, and integration of physical security systems, and implementation of security measures. Eligibility requirements include 3-5 years of experience in the physical security field.
Our eligibility requirements for all ASIS certification programs have changed to better align with the security management profession of today. Just as the security management professional has matured, so too have ASIS’s certification programs. Therefore, the Professional Certification Board—the governing body behind ASIS’s renowned certification programs—has determined that our requirements should reflect this growth. These changes apply to all four of ASIS’s certifications.
How are the eligibility requirements changing?
In most instances, the years of professional experience required to apply for certification have been reduced by one or two years. We have also eliminated the need to hold a degree specifically in the security field. The rigor and benefits of earning certification will remain unchanged, but these updates make ASIS certification more accessible to qualified security professionals deserving of recognition.
Whether you are active duty or transitioning to the private sector, ASIS certification helps you build on your previous security experience, conveys your professional strengths, and can ease the transition to the civilian workforce.
"After retiring from the army…. I joined ASIS, as recommended by an Army colleague, and the association was invaluable in my learning process about transition and specifically into the private, non-DOD, sector.
As I reviewed job announcements, I noted that a CPP was preferred or required. I achieved my CPP after 6 months of study and was hired as a Director of Security at a large hospital in Washington, DC, just three months after getting certified. Certification evens out the field as military members compete with counterparts from the private sector."
~Rose Miller, CPP, CHPA, Consultant, Self employed
"If you are someone who likes to help people, be part of a mission greater than yourself, and don't mind unique challenges, it's definitely the right path for you." - Anjali Sniadowski, CPP, PSPAnjali Sniadowski, CPP, PSP admits that a security career may not be for everyone. She can list some downsides: irregular hours and hard work. But in her mind, the pluses outweigh any negatives.
ASIS salutes all certified practitioners for their commitment to professionalism and continued improvement. Spotlights, featured here and in Security Management magazine, offer personal insights from certified practitioners explaining why they opted to earn their board certification.
Check out all of their stories and learn about how an ASIS certification can help advance your career.
Demonstrate the benefits of ASIS certification with this justification letter that you could update with your information and share with your boss or supervisor.